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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Please refer to the Chowchilla Municipal Code Chapter 13.
Show All Answers
Sign up for utilities at the Finance Department in City Hall, 130 S Second Street, Chowchilla, during regular business hours. Call (559) 665-8615, ext 783 for more information.
You may view and download the Welcome Packet, or obtain one from the Finance Department in City Hall, or call (559) 665-8615, ext. 783 to have an application faxed or mailed to you. Once you have completed the application, bring it to the Finance Department, along with the following items: rental/lease agreement or escrow closing statement, a copy of your drivers license, passport with picture ID, or California ID card.
After the Finance Department accepts your application, be prepared to pay a security deposit for service per current fee schedule. For more information on this, call the Finance Department at (559) 665-8615, extension 783.
Monthly payments may be mailed to:
Chowchilla City HallAttn: Finance Department130 S Second StreetChowchilla CA 93610
Payments can be made in-person inside City Hall during regular business hours.
After regular business hours payments can be placed into the drop box located on the wall of City Hall to the right of the front entrance. Do not leave cash in the drop box.
Online payments can be made using the online bill pay site.
Cash, checks, money orders and Visa or MasterCard are accepted. Online bill payment is now available, view the Bill Pay website to sign up for online service.
The City billing system is set up to bill you for the prior month. For example, on March 1, you will receive a bill for February services. You have until the last business day of the month to pay your bill. After that, a 10% penalty will be applied to your account.
If you are unable to pay your bill, please call us at (559) 665-8615, ext. 783, or come to the Finance Department at City Hall to discuss the status of payment options.
If your water service has been shut off due to non-payment, you must bring your account to current status before service can be reconnected. Contact the Finance Department at (559) 665-8615, extension 783 for information. Making a payment online will not connect your service, you must call in to City Hall.
To terminate or make changes to your water, sewer and trash service, the account holder must submit the appropriate form found on the Finance Department web page, obtain a print version from City Hall, or call the Department at (559) 665-8615, ext. 783 for more options. The account holder remains responsible for the monthly utility services until the proper notification has been submitted and processed by the Finance Department.


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Any person organising any teaching, meditation or other practice group, retreat or representing any Buddhist lineage who wishes to have a presence on this site, please contact the webmaster. Also if you have lesson plans, readings for lessons or any activity for classrooms and elsewhere for any age of pupil or other resources for teachers and guardians of children and young people.
Welcome to the web pages of some of Cornwall's Buddhists.
Our purpose is to point you to as many Buddhist groups in Cornwall as we can so we can all get to know what meditation and practice groups, courses, retreats and teachings are taking place in Cornwall. We also point to events of our traditions within easy reach of Cornwall.
We will show you when and where meetings will take place, the Buddhist tradition and lineage involved and the person to contact. Each centre or lineage will have its own page, with information about the lineage, styles of practice and its programme of events, with links to the lineage's own external pages. We aim to assist anyone to learn about the many and diverse styles of teachings and practice that exist under the umbrella of Buddhism.
Forthcoming pages will provide resources for teachers in schools and colleges. We would welcome links to web resources and activities, especially those you have experienced or verified with students of all ages. These resources should be suitable for non-Buddhist teachers to use with their students. All can be developed with use, reflection and appropriate modification. Please write with your suggestions to the webmaster.

subset: commoncrawl


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Since I wrote for Busted Halo about Mitt Romney's first run for president in 2008, much has changed in the public landscape regarding knowledge and perceptions of Mormonism. Americans today find themselves swept up in a "Mormon Moment," thanks to Romney's second run, Jon Huntsman Jr.'s candidacy, and popular media coverage of The Book of Mormon musical. Rather than depending on Big Love for their (inaccurate) understanding of this world religion, Americans can now find informed reports in sources from the Washington Post to NPR. Still, persistent myths and misperceptions blight even the most well-intentioned reporters' pieces. The following will help give Busted Halo readers the perspective they need to be informed observers of the "Mormon Moment."
Myth #1: Mormons Practice Polygamy
Polygamy as an acceptable familial structure was banned by the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1890. Yep, that's 122 years ago. Members of the modern Church who marry more than one spouse concurrently are excommunicated. For current Mormons, aside from the ancestral linkage some have to the small number of original frontier people who practiced it, polygamy has little relevance in day-to-day life.Why The Myth Exists: In an era of Victorian morals, polygamy was understandably a shocking and newsworthy characteristic. The confusion persists because extremist groups with similar organizational names continue the practice. The Church's struggle to move past this titillating trait of its early days and disassociate itself from the extremist splinter groups remains a tremendous public relations challenge. Additionally, because our doctrine currently allows widowed and divorced men to remarry (serially) and thus be married — or "sealed" — for all eternity to more than one wife, we struggle doctrinally to reconcile how these multiple sealings will be honored after earthly life.
Myth #2: Mormons Aren't Christian
When confronted with the assertion that Mormons aren't Christian, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints exasperatedly roll their eyes and say, "Just look at the name of our church!" We indeed consider Jesus Christ to be at the center of our worship: We acknowledge him as our personal Savior and Redeemer; we honor the Bible as the word of God; we commemorate his sacrifice every week in our sacramental worship. In fact, our additional scripture, the Book of Mormon, which is itself the reason for some of the "not Christian" allegations, is subtitled "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" as it tells of Christ's visit to the Americas after his resurrection in Judea.Why The Myth Exists: The dispute around Mormonism's kinship with traditional Christian denominations is, at its heart, a theological issue. Mormonism is not a creedal denomination, meaning that our doctrine doesn't conform to the principles codified in documents such as the Nicene Creed. Specifically, we believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are three separate personages, with God the Father and Jesus Christ having substantive bodies. This runs deeply counter to an understanding of God that uses the Trinity. Some feel our concept of Jesus Christ is so distant from the traditional concept that we should not be claiming membership in the Christian family, but our position is that no group should be excluded from that family if it claims foundation on and adherence to the teachings of the first century Jesus of Nazareth.
Myth #3: Mormons Are All The Same
About two years ago, membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints became larger outside of the United States than inside — with over 30,000 congregations in 176 countries, there are 14.1 million members worldwide, about a third of those speaking Spanish. There's no way we're all the same. In fact, you may have noticed the advertising campaign, "I'm a Mormon," which is the Church's effort to specifically target this myth. In the campaign, Mormons of various professions, interests and experiences from all over the world help build bridges of common ground with those in the general public through video portraits. We're fond of noting that, while we might be claiming the Republican nominee for president, we can also claim the Democratic Senate Majority Leader.Why This Myth Exists: A devoted Mormon's faith influences what she eats, what she wears, who she marries, how she spends her time. Mormons make these choices not by coercion, but on the belief that they will lead to a happier life and a closer relationship to God. Mormonism professes the continued role of right and wrong and the relevance of commandments. As members, we have to meet certain standards in order to enter our sacred temples and serve in our congregations' leadership positions. This voluntary obedience, and the possibility of being denied some privileges of worship if we don't live up to the standards, may appear despotic in this age of self-definition.
Myth #4: Mormon Beliefs Are Way Weirder Than Any Other Religion's
You've probably read something about Mormons over the past few months that raised an eyebrow: Mormons get their own planets! God is actually a man! Joseph Smith was a treasure seeker! While Mormonism is a religion requiring a heightened but willing suspension of disbelief — or, in other words, faith — believers are rewarded with a thorough cosmic vision of where we came from, why we're here and where we are going that is beautiful and satisfying. And while our claims of angels, buried scripture and Christ on the American continent do sound farfetched to outsiders, we consider them meaningful enhancements to an eternal plan that includes other "farfetched" but more familiar claims, such as resurrection, grace and the virgin birth.Why The Myth Exists: While some outlandish statements by the media are bogus, many are distortions rooted in truth that make way more sense when put in context. This makes clarifying them a formidable and complex task. Because Mormon beliefs have their foundations in America's Judeo-Christian orientation, the concepts and vocabulary are recognizable but uncomfortably distinct to Westerners, and thus some may find them more threatening than other cultures' faiths, such as Eastern religions, that don't hit nearly so close to home.
A Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey released last week did something that hasn't been done very often before: rather than asking Americans what they think of Mormons, the survey asked Mormons what they think of themselves. According to the study, 62 percent of American Mormons believe the rest of the country knows little or nothing about their faith. Armed with the preceding myth-busters, Busted Halo students of the Mormon Moment can sift judiciously through the media reports and glean a more accurate understanding of this major religious movement.


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NetFlow is a feature that was introduced on Cisco routers that provides the ability to collect IP network traffic as it enters or exits an interface. By analyzing the data provided by NetFlow, a network administrator can determine things such as the source and destination of traffic, class of service, and the causes of congestion. A typical flow monitoring setup (using NetFlow) consists of three main components:
- Flow exporter: aggregates packets into flows and exports flow records towards one or more flow collectors.
- Flow collector: responsible for reception, storage and pre-processing of flow data received from a flow exporter.
- Analysis application: analyzes received flow data in the context of intrusion detection or traffic profiling, for example.
Protocol description
Routers and switches that support NetFlow can collect IP traffic statistics on all interfaces where NetFlow is enabled, and later export those statistics as NetFlow records toward at least one NetFlow collector - typically a server that does the actual traffic analysis.
Network Flows
A network flow can be defined in many ways. Cisco standard NetFlow version 5 defines a flow as a unidirectional sequence of packets that all share the following 7 values:
- Ingress interface (SNMP ifIndex)
- Source IP address
- Destination IP address
- IP protocol
- Source port for UDP or TCP, 0 for other protocols
- Destination port for UDP or TCP, type and code for ICMP, or 0 for other protocols
- IP Type of Service
Note that the Egress interface, IP Nexthop or BGP Nexthops are not part of the key, and may not be accurate if the route changes before the expiration of the flow, or if load-balancing is done per-packet.
That definition of flows is also used for IPv6, and a similar definition is used for MPLS and Ethernet flows.
Advanced NetFlow or IPFIX implementations like Cisco Flexible NetFlow allow user-defined flow keys.
A typical output of a NetFlow command line tool (nfdump in this case) when printing the stored flows may look as follows:
Date flow start Duration Proto Src IP Addr:Port Dst IP Addr:Port Packets Bytes Flows 2010-09-01 00:00:00.459 0.000 UDP 127.0.0.1:24920 -> 192.168.0.1:22126 1 46 1 2010-09-01 00:00:00.363 0.000 UDP 192.168.0.1:22126 -> 127.0.0.1:24920 1 80 1
Export of NetFlow records
The router will output a flow record when it determines that the flow is finished. It does this by flow aging: when the router sees new traffic for an existing flow it resets the aging counter. Also, TCP session termination in a TCP flow causes the router to expire the flow. Routers can also be configured to output a flow record at a fixed interval even if the flow is still ongoing.
NetFlow Packet transport protocol
NetFlow records are traditionally exported using User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and collected using a NetFlow collector. The IP address of the NetFlow collector and the destination UDP port must be configured on the sending router. The standard value is UDP port 2055, but other values like 9555 or 9995, 9025, 9026 etc. can also be used.
For efficiency reasons, the router traditionally does not keep track of flow records already exported, so if a NetFlow packet is dropped due to network congestion or packet corruption, all contained records are lost forever. The UDP protocol does not inform the router of the loss so it can send the packets again. This can be a real problem, especially with NetFlow v8 or v9 that can aggregate a lot of packets or flows into a single record. A single UDP packet loss can cause a huge impact on the statistics of some flows.
That is why some modern implementations of NetFlow use the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) to export packets so as to provide some protection against packet loss, and make sure that NetFlow v9 templates are received before any related record is exported. Note that TCP would not be suitable for NetFlow because a strict ordering of packets would cause excessive buffering and delays.
The problem with SCTP is that it requires interaction between each NetFlow collector and each routers exporting NetFlow. There may be performance limitations if a router has to deal with many NetFlow collectors, and a NetFlow collector has to deal with lots of routers, especially when some of them are unavailable due to failure or maintenance.
SCTP may not be efficient if NetFlow must be exported toward several independent collectors, some of which may be test servers that can go down at any moment. UDP allows simple replication of NetFlow packets using Network taps or L2 or L3 Mirroring. Simple stateless equipment can also filter or change the destination address of NetFlow UDP packets if necessary. Since NetFlow export almost only use network backbone links, packet loss will often be negligible. If it happens, it will mostly be on the link between the network and the NetFlow collectors.
NetFlow Packet header
All NetFlow packets begin with version-dependent header, that contains at least these fields:
- Version number (v1?v5, v7?v8, v9)
- Sequence number to detect loss and duplication
- Timestamps at the moment of export, as system uptime or absolute time.
- Number of records (v5 or v8) or list of templates and records (v9)
NetFlow Record
A NetFlow record can contain a wide variety of information about the traffic in a given flow.
NetFlow version 5 (one of the most commonly used versions, followed by version 9) contains the following:
- Input interface index used by SNMP (ifIndex in IF-MIB).
- Output interface index or zero if the packet is dropped.
- Timestamps for the flow start and finish time, in milliseconds since the last boot.
- Number of bytes and packets observed in the flow
- Layer 3 headers:
- Source & destination IP addresses
- Source and destination port numbers for TCP, UDP, SCTP
- ICMP Type and Code.
- IP protocol
- Type of Service (ToS) value
- For TCP flows, the union of all TCP flags observed over the life of the flow.
- Layer 3 Routing information:
- IP address of the immediate next-hop (not the BGP nexthop) along the route to the destination
- Source & destination IP masks (prefix lengths in the CIDR notation)
For ICMP flows, the Source Port is zero, and the Destination Port number field codes ICMP message Type and Code (port = ICMP-Type * 256 + ICMP-Code).
The source and destination Autonomous System (AS) number fields can report the destination AS (last AS of AS-Path) or the immediate neighbor AS (first AS of AS-Path). depending on the router configuration. But the AS number will be zero if the feature is not supported, the route is unknown or not announced by BGP, or the AS is the local AS. There is no explicit way to distinguish between these cases.
NetFlow version 9 can include all of these fields and can optionally include additional information such as Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) labels and IPv6 addresses and ports,
By analyzing flow data, a picture of traffic flow and traffic volume in a network can be built. The NetFlow record format has evolved over time, hence the inclusion of version numbers. Cisco maintains details of the different version numbers and the layout of the packets for each version.
NetFlow interfaces
NetFlow is usually enabled on a per-interface basis to limit load on the router components involved in NetFlow, or to limit the amount of NetFlow records exported.
NetFlow usually captures all packets received by an ingress IP interface, but some NetFlow implementations use IP filters to decide if a packet can be observed by NetFlow.
Some NetFlow implementations also allow the observation of packets on the egress IP interface, but this must be used with care: all flows from any ingress interface with NetFlow enabled to any interface with NetFlow enabled could be counted twice.
Sampled NetFlow
Standard NetFlow was designed to process all IP packets on an interface. But in some environments, e.g. on Internet backbones, that was too costly, due to the extra processing required for each packet, and large number of simultaneous flows.
So Cisco introduced sampled NetFlow on Cisco 12000, and that is now used in all high-end routers that implement NetFlow.
Only one packet out of n is processed, where n, the sampling rate, is determined by the router configuration.
The exact selection process depends on the implementation:
- One packet every n packet, in Deterministic NetFlow, as used on Cisco's 12000.
- One packet randomly selected in an interval of n packet, in Random Sampled NetFlow, used on modern Cisco routers.
Some implementations have more complex methods to sample packets, like per-flow sampling on Cisco Catalysts.
The sampling rate is often the same for all interfaces, but can be adjusted per interface for some routers. When Sampled NetFlow is used, the NetFlow records must be adjusted for the effect of sampling - traffic volumes, in particular, are now an estimate rather than the actual measured flow volume.
The sampling rate is indicated in a header field of NetFlow version 5 (same sampling rate for all interfaces) or in option records of NetFlow version 9 (sampling rate per interface)
NetFlow Versions
Version | Comment |
v1 | First implementation, now obsolete, and restricted to IPv4 (without IP mask and AS Numbers). |
v2 | Cisco internal version, never released. |
v3 | Cisco internal version, never released. |
v4 | Cisco internal version, never released. |
v5 | Most common version, available (as of 2009) on many routers from different brands, but restricted to IPv4 flows. |
v6 | No longer supported by Cisco. Encapsulation information (?). |
v7 | Like version 5 with a source router field. Used (only?) on Cisco Catalyst switches. |
v8 | Several aggregation form, but only for information that is already present in version 5 records |
v9 | Template Based, available (as of 2009) on some recent routers. Mostly used to report flows like IPv6, MPLS, or even plain IPv4 with BGP nexthop. |
v10 | Used for identifying IPFIX. Although IPFIX is heavily based on NetFlow, v10 does not have anything to do with NetFlow. |
NetFlow and IPFIX
NetFlow was initially implemented by Cisco, and described in an "informational" document that was not on the standards track: RFC 3954 – Cisco Systems NetFlow Services Export Version 9. The NetFlow protocol itself has been superseded by Internet Protocol Flow Information eXport (IPFIX). Based on the NetFlow Version 9 implementation, IPFIX is on the IETF standards track with RFC 5101 (obsoleted by RFC 7011), RFC 5102 (obsoleted by RFC 7012), etc. which were published in 2008.
NetFlow equivalents
Many vendors other than Cisco provide an equivalent technology on their routers and switches, but some use a different name for the technology, probably because NetFlow is thought to be a Cisco trademark (even though as of March 2012 it is not listed in Cisco Trademarks):
- Jflow or cflowd for Juniper Networks
- NetStream for 3Com/HP
- NetStream for Huawei Technologies
- Cflowd for Alcatel-Lucent
- Rflow for Ericsson
- AppFlow Citrix
- Traffic Flow MikroTik
- sFlow vendors include: Alaxala, Alcatel Lucent, Allied Telesis, Arista Networks, Brocade, Cisco, Dell, D-Link, Enterasys, Extreme, Fortinet, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, Huawei, IBM, Juniper, LG-Ericsson, Mellanox, MRV, NEC, Netgear, Proxim Wireless, Quanta Computer, Vyatta, ZTE and ZyXEL
NetFlow support
Vendor and type | Models | NetFlow Version | Implementation | Comments |
Cisco IOS-XR routers | CRS, ASR9000 old 12000 | v5, v8, v9 | Software running on line card CPU | Comprehensive support for IPv6 and MPLS |
Cisco IOS routers | 10000, 7200, old 7500 | v5, v8, v9 | Software running on Route Processor | support for IPv6 or MPLS require recent model and IOS |
Cisco Catalyst switches | 7600, 6500, 4500 | v5, v8, v9 | Dedicated hardware TCAM, also used for ACLs. | Support for IPv6 on high-end models RSP720 and Sup720, but at most 128K or 256K flows per PCF card. |
Cisco Nexus switches | 7000, 7700 | v5, v9 | Dedicated hardware TCAM, also used for ACLs. Up to 512K flows. Support IPv4/IPv6/L2. | MPLS not supported |
Juniper legacy routers | M-series, T-series, MX-series with DPC | v5, v8 | Software running on Routing Engine, called software jflow | IPv6 and MPLS not supported |
Juniper legacy routers | M-series, T-series, MX-series with DPC | v5, v8, v9 | Software running on service PIC, called hardware jflow or sampled | IPv6 or MPLS supported on MS-DPC, MultiService-PIC, AS-PIC2 |
Juniper routers | MX-series with MPC-3D, future FPC5 for T4000 | v5, IPFIX | Hardware (trio chipset), called inline jflow | IPv6 requires JUNOS 11.4R2 (back port target), MPLS support unknown, MPC3E excluded until 12.3 |
Alcatel-Lucent routers | 7750SR | v5, v8, v9, IPFIX | Software running on Central Processor Module | IPv6 or MPLS using IOM3 line cards or better |
Huawei routers | NE5000E NE40E/X NE80E | v5, v9 | Software running on service cards | Support for IPv6 or MPLS is unknown |
Enterasys Switches | S-Serie and N-Serie | v5, v9 | Dedicated hardware | IPv6 support is unknown |
INVEA-TECH probes | FlowMon Probe 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, 10000, 20000 | v5, v9, IPFIX | Software or hardware-accelerated | Comprehensive support for IPv6 and MPLS, wire-speed |
Nortel Switches | Ethernet Routing Switch 5500 Series (ERS5510, 5520 and 5530) and 8600 (Chassis-based) | v5, v9, IPFIX | Software running on line card CPU | Comprehensive support for IPv6 |
PC and Servers | Linux FreeBSD NetBSD OpenBSD | v5, v9, IPFIX | Software like fprobe, ipt-netflow, pflow, or softflowd | IPv6 support depend on the software used |
VMware servers | vSphere 5.x | v5, IPFIX (>5.1) | Software | IPv6 support is unknown |
Mikrotik RouterOS | RouterOS 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, 6.x | v1, v5, v9 | Software and Routerboard hardware | IPv6 is supported using v9. Currently RouterOS does not include BGP AS numbers. |
NetFlow variants
Cisco's NetFlow Security Event Logging
Introduced with the launch of the Cisco ASA 5580 products, NetFlow Security Event Logging utilizes NetFlow v9 fields and templates in order to efficiently deliver security telemetry in high performance environments. NetFlow Security Event Logging scales better than syslog while offering the same level of detail and granularity in logged events.
NetFlow Monitoring Based on Standalone Probes
This section possibly contains original research. (March 2009) |
NetFlow architecture using standalone probes.
NetFlow collection using standalone NetFlow probes is an alternative to flow collection from routers and switches. This approach can overcome some limitations of router-based NetFlow monitoring. The probes are transparently connected to the monitored link as a passive appliance using the TAP or SPAN port of the appliance.
Historically, NetFlow monitoring is easier to implement in a dedicated probe than in a router. However, this approach also has some drawbacks:
- probes must be deployed on every link that must be observed, causing additional hardware, setup and maintenance costs.
- probes will not report separate input and output interface information like a report from a router would.
- probes may have problems reporting reliably the NetFlow fields related to routing, like AS Numbers or IP masks, because they can hardly be expected to use exactly the same routing information as a router.
The easiest way to address the above drawbacks is to use a Packet Capture Appliance inline in front of the router and capture all of the NetFlow output from the router. This method allows for storage of large amount of NetFlow data (typically many years worth of data) and does not require reconfiguration of the network.
NetFlow collection from dedicated probes is well suited for observation of critical links, whereas NetFlow on routers provides a Network-wide view of the traffic that can be used for capacity planning, accounting, performance monitoring, and security.
NetFlow was originally a Cisco packet switching technology for Cisco routers, implemented in IOS 11.x around 1996. It was originally a software implementation for the Cisco 7000, 7200 and 7500, where it was thought as an improvement over the then current Cisco Fast Switching. It carries U.S. patent # 6,243,667.
The idea was that the first packet of a flow would create a NetFlow switching record. This record would then be used for all later packets of the same flow, until the expiration of the flow. Only the first packet of a flow would require an investigation of the route table to find the most specific matching route. This is an expensive operation in software implementations, especially the old ones without Forwarding information base. The NetFlow switching record was actually some kind of route cache record, and old versions of IOS still refer to the NetFlow cache as ip route-cache.
This technology was advantageous for local networks. This was especially true if some of the traffic had to be filtered by an ACL as only the first packet of a flow had to be evaluated by the ACL.
NetFlow switching soon turned out to be unsuitable for big routers, especially Internet backbone routers, where the number of simultaneous flows was much more important than those on local networks, and where some traffic causes lots of short-lived flows, like Domain Name System requests (whose source port is random for security reasons).
As a switching technology, NetFlow was replaced around 1995 by Cisco Express Forwarding. This first appeared on Cisco 12000 routers, and later replaced NetFlow switching on advanced IOS for the Cisco 7200 and Cisco 7500.
As of 2012, technologies similar to NetFlow switching are still in use in most firewalls and software-based IP routers. For instance the conntrack feature of the Netfilter framework used by Linux.


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This is the Part I of the author's "The Endings of Victorian and Modern Works: Domesticity Preserved, the Family Resurrected, Domesticity Destroyed, the Family Denigrated."
he endings of novels are perhaps their most crucial points, when both themes and characters diverge or converge, when expectations are fulfilled or crushed, when the novel comes together to leave no questions or to create new ones. The endings of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea, Charles Dickens Great Expectations and Graham Swift'sWaterland are all superb. Jane Eyre and Great Expectations served as the inspirations for Wide Sargasso Sea and Waterland, respectively, and within each pair, the endings of the modern texts bear more similarities to each other than they do to their Victorian counterparts. Jane Eyre and Great Expectations end on more hopeful and exuberant literary notes than their modern day rewritings: in the two Victorian endings, love is confirmed, miracles are worked, dreams are fulfilled, children are born and new familial bonds are established. Further, both Brontë and Dickens place emphasis on the human capacity to change, as both authors' characters mature morally and spiritually by the novels' endings. The modern re-workings of these texts are not so finitely optimistic. Both Wide Sargasso Sea and Waterland end on unique notes of despair: madness, death, hate and suicide come to clearly define these modern endings. Any hope of plesant domesticity is destroyed, as couples are separated by hate or death, as mothers and children perish and in so doing destroy the families of which they are a part. Ultimately, the Victorian texts come to frame and prize traditional the promise of traditional domesticity, while the modern texts focus on the undoing and ultimate impossibility and destructiveness of family and home.
The Endings of Victorian and Modern Works
- Introduction
- Jane Eyre: Victorian Ideals and God's Triumph
- New Life, Old Love in Charles Dickens Great Expectations
- Wide Sargasso Sea and the blossoming of hate
- Waterland: Families Fractured
- Conclusion
Last updated 20 May 2004


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From a glance at a recent front page of The New York Times, you might guess that a political meeting in Athens this week would be full of talk about the resigning prime minister, bailout deals, and the Euro. The land that gave birth to European civilization now seems on the brink of sinking the whole continent's economy. But, among those gathered on Monday in a basement in the neighborhood of Exarcheia—a kind of Haight-Ashbury for Greek anarchists—the agenda was completely different. They talked instead about parks, public kitchens, and barter bazaars. They even seemed pretty hopeful.
The lack of concern for political figureheads, in retrospect, was to be expected. Greek anarchists see no more reason to care about whether George Papandreou goes or stays than those at Occupy Wall Street are agonizing over Herman Cain's sexual foibles. They have another kind of politics in mind.
The meeting, convened by a group called Assembly for the Circulation of Struggles, consisted of progress reports from neighborhood assemblies around Athens. Located down some stairs under a graffiti black cat, the basement included a ping-pong table, a kitchen, a bar, and a selection of radical books in Greek. ("If the books do better than the bar," said a woman who would know, "we consider that a good night.") For five hours, 50 or so people sat in an ovular jumble of plastic chairs and cafe tables, smoking hand-rolled cigarettes and nursing beers. Among them were Argentine activist Claudia Acuna and Marina Sitrin, a New York-based activist, lawyer, and scholar who has been a central organizer of Occupy Wall Street since the planning stages. The Assembly had just published a Greek translation of Sitrin's book, Horizontalism: Voices of Popular Power in Argentina. Thanks to Acuna and Sitrin, the conversation about neighborhoods got a little more global—a spitting image of the emerging global justice movement that is focused less on shuttling around to particular economic summits, as was common a decade ago, than on occupying public spaces everywhere.
"In New York, we're still the baby movement in the world," said Sitrin. Since Occupy Wall Street began on September 17, occupations and open assemblies have spread to more than a hundred cities and towns around the United States. But assemblies are only starting to find their way from the central squares into neighborhoods and workplaces, where most people spend most of their time, and where many of their most vital concerns lie.
The Argentines and the Greeks have had more practice. Following the economic collapse and popular rebellion in late 2001, non-hierarchical, "horizontal" assemblies appeared across Argentina, reopening closed factories and occupying defunct banks. When the government stopped being able to provide basic services, people organized on the local level to provide for themselves. Since then, the assemblies have both lived on and faltered, while the national government increasingly tries to co-opt and supplant them.
As does Argentina, Greece has a long history of anarchist thought and practice. The most recent iteration dates back to the riots of 2008, following the shooting of a teenage boy by police. The country's economic crisis of the past two years and the government's effort to respond with austerity measures has only strengthened the movement. There have been enormous, volatile protests and occupations in Athens' Syntagma Square, which spread images of Molotov cocktails and riot police around the world. But those protests also gave birth to assemblies, as people revived the terminology of ancient Athenian democracy to explain their participatory, non-hierarchical decision making process. Since the recent demonstrations at Syntagma, such assemblies have became the norm among activists from around the country, who have now taken assemblies home with them.
Like the Occupy movement in the U.S., Greek protesters have often been blamed for being selfish, impractical and short on clear demands. But, to the anarchists like those the Assembly for the Circulation of Struggles gathered on Monday, such complaints ring hollow. (Graffiti on the metal covering the windows of a post office on Syntagma Square reads, "CAN A REVOLUTION BE SELLFISH.") Rather than demanding particular reforms of the government, they focus on creating alternative institutions to replace it, actively resisting by getting a head start on building the world they want to see.
Gandhi called this kind of work the "constructive program"—as he put it, the effort to achieve "complete independence by truthful and nonviolent means." Toward the end of a life spent building ashram communities, wearing homespun cloth and preaching self-reliance, he came to see the constructive program as the most vital part of a transformative resistance movement.
As they take hold in neighborhoods, the Greek and Argentine assemblies are concerned less with ideology than with finding direct ways to address the needs of people and the crises of the community. One man with long hair running down his back—characteristically Greek—reported on how his assembly built a park on a block that was slated to become a parking lot, while another described efforts to save preschools and public entertainment from being lost to privatization. Politics, however, becomes unavoidable. Everyone who uses a reclaimed park, or sends a child to a reclaimed school, is taking part in an act of political resistance. They're radicalized by implication, by necessity.
Both the Greek and Argentine autonomous movements have dealt with a lot of ideological infighting, especially as various leftist political parties try to use the assemblies to win recruits and parliamentary votes, distracting from the assembly's own agenda. Since open assemblies can thereby become too unwieldy, some anarchists have started smaller, closed assemblies with more rigid philosophical boundaries.
In the United States, says Marina Sitrin, "Our leftist political parties are nothing compared to those in Argentina and Greece." The Democratic Party much less impact on American radical groups than do the smaller communist and socialist parties that parliamentary systems allow to flourish elsewhere.
What worries Sitrin especially about Occupy Wall Street right now is another form of co-option. The Greeks smiled half enviously when she said, "Only in the U.S. do you start a movement and people give you money." But Sitrin wasn't bragging. "As a movement, we can't have money. It's a massive problem." When supporters start donating large quantities cash—as opposed to actual necessities like food and blankets—they threaten to turn the movement into a bureaucracy, or worse.
With their country's economic crisis worsening, the Greek anarchists said they are similarly worried that aid money pouring in will enrich bureaucratic NGOs, while further accustoming people to taking handouts from above rather than providing for themselves. Claudia Acuna nodded knowingly.
Instead, the anarchists are trying to create alternative economies, through projects like public kitchens and barter markets for clothing and other necessities. As in Argentina, doing so has meant weaning people away from the taboo against using second-hand goods or from accepting food when one can't afford it—a taboo the anarchists blame on the capitalist state's false promises of a luxurious life for all.
As the evening went on, the different assemblies described their plans for the future. One is organizing a demonstration on motorcycles. (Motorcycle helmets and leather jackets are as common among Greek activists as messenger bags and fixed-gear bicycles are for their U.S. counterparts.) A union of delivery workers is trying to create a new vision of labor in their industry based on a four-hour work day. Through assemblies of assemblies, neighborhoods are also taking part in larger-scale resistance campaigns, including ones against a new tax on electricity and the privatization of public transit. The Greeks asked Sitrin about last week's "general strike" organized by Occupy Oakland, and she in turn asked them about how the various occupations in the U.S. might coordinate with each other better.
Around two in the morning, a pair from the Assembly for the Circulation of Struggles finally drove Sitrin and Acuna back to their hotel, roughly tracing the marching route from Exarcheia to Syntagma Square. They passed, and mourned at, a bank once torched by Molotov cocktails, accidentally killing three people inside. Though earlier the Greeks had been joking about which beer bottles to use for Molotovs, this time they spoke of the bomb-throwers as uncontrollable kids, as "not really even anarchists." They passed the columns around the square where marble had been torn off and thrown at riot police. A handful of police with shields were still stationed nearby, just in case.
At least as much as the riot police, and hopefully more, that evening's meeting seemed like a sign of things to come: a global resistance movement coming together to face global problems. It's being built, however, around the particular needs of local communities, of people who are learning to organize themselves and resist in the course of providing for one another.
This article was originally published by Waging Nonviolence.


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text:
*The flutter of Wings*
I hope everyone's keeping warm! After 4 years we have finally gotten a freeze here in Houston! Very happy over this and hoping it kills off some of the mosquitos here for spring and summer. They are so bad~ but strange because we don't get much rainfall in spring time and summer. Many times in past I have said how "I miss the snowfalls". I am about to change my thoughts on this! But I think I will always miss the snows to watch and play in. Maybe when we go back to Scotland in wintertime I can finally make a snowhorse..a dream of mine!
Here is what I've been doing. She's such a pretty Missy isn't she? She will be listed on Etsy for sale at Singingglass my Lampwork page. I guess who ever takes her home will name her!


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This week on The Reading Life: Eric Bookhardt, editor of Inventing Reality: New Orleans Visionary Photography, and his publisher and subject, photographer Josephine Sacabo. We'll also hear from Phillip Collier, whose gorgeous new book is Phillip Collier's Making New Orleans Products Past and Present.
And we'll meet the writers of a new children's book, What the Sleepy Animals Do at the Audubon Zoo — Ryan Murphy and Grace Millsaps.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress Wednesday that a serious national security leak required the secret gathering of telephone records at The Associated Press as he stood by an investigation in which he insisted he had no involvement.
Pestered by Republicans and some Democrats, Holder testified that he has faith in the individuals conducting the broad investigation, driven in large part by GOP outrage last year over the possibility that administration officials leaked information to enhance President Barack Obama's national security reputation in an election year.
Holder said he had recused himself from the case because ''I am a possessor of information eventually leaked.'' He said he was unable to answer questions on the subpoenas and why the Justice Department failed to negotiate with the AP prior to the subpoenas, a standard practice.
That elicited frustration from some committee members with the Obama administration and the attorney general.
''There doesn't appear to be any acceptance of responsibility for things that have gone wrong,'' Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., told Holder. He suggested that administration officials travel to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and take a photo of the famous sign, ''the buck stops here.''
It was the Justice Department's No. 2 official, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, who made the decision to seek news media phone records, Holder said.
Last year, Holder appointed two US attorneys to lead a Justice inquiry into who leaked information about US involvement in cyber-attacks on Iran and an al-Qaida plot to place an explosive device aboard a US-bound flight. Holder had resisted calls for a special counsel, telling lawmakers that the two attorneys, Ron Machen and Rod Rosenstein, are experienced, independent and thorough.
Holder was grilled on several scandals rocking the administration, including the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service and any missteps in sharing intelligence information prior to the bombings in Boston.
Responding to news of the gathering of AP records, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., planned to revive a 2009 media shield bill that protects journalists and their employers from having to reveal information, including the identity of sources who had been promised confidentiality.
The law does contain some exceptions in instances of national security.
''This kind of law would balance national security needs against the public's right to the free flow of information,'' Schumer said in a statement. ''At minimum, our bill would have ensured a fairer, more deliberate process in this case.''
The White House threw its support behind the push Wednesday morning, with Ed Pagano, President Barack Obama's liaison to the Senate, placing a call to Schumer's office to ask him to revive the bill — a step the senator had planned to take. White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama ''believes strongly we need to provide the protection to the media that this legislation would do.''
Obama's support for the bill signaled an effort by the White House to show action in the face of heated criticism from lawmakers from both parties and news organizations about his commitment to protecting civil liberties and freedom of the press.
White House officials have said they are unable to comment publicly on the incident at the heart of the controversy because the Justice Department's leak probe essentially amounts to a criminal investigation of administration officials.
Holder on Tuesday defended the move to collect AP phone records in an effort to hunt down the sources of information for a May 7, 2012, AP story that disclosed details of a CIA operation in Yemen to stop an airliner bombing plot around the anniversary of the killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. The attorney general called the story the result of ''a very serious leak, a very grave leak.''
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence committee, said Wednesday that the leak was ''within the most serious leaks because it definitely endangered some lives.''
Feinstein said it was her understanding that the information gathering did not focus on the ''content of phone calls,'' but rather ''to see who reporters have spoken to, that somebody did provide this information with respect to this bomb.''
At a news conference Tuesday, Holder defended the subpoenas to the AP and disclosed that the department was investigating the IRS for giving tea party groups extra scrutiny when they applied for tax exempt status.
Documents obtained by the AP suggest the targeting of conservative groups could be more widespread than the IRS has acknowledged. The agency has said it was limited to low-level workers in a Cincinnati office.
At Tuesday's news conference, Holder said the US has gotten good cooperation from the Russians on the Boston bombings investigation. US law enforcement officials are trying to determine whether Tamerlan Tsarnaev was indoctrinated or trained by militants during his visit to Dagestan, a Caspian Sea province of Russia that has become the center of a simmering Islamic insurgency.
Associated Press writers Josh Lederman, Erica Werner and Donna Cassata contributed to this report.


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New York: A revolutionary toilet fueled by the sun that is being developed to help some of the 2.5 billion people around the world lacking safe and sustainable sanitation would be unveiled in India this month.
"The self-contained, waterless toilet has the capability of heating human waste to a high enough temperature to sterilise human waste and create biochar, a highly porous charcoal,†informed project principal investigator Karl Linden, professor of environmental engineering at University of Colorado Boulder.
The biochar can be used to both increase crop yields and sequester carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
The project is part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's 'Reinvent the Toilet Challenge', an effort to develop a next-generation toilet that can be used to disinfect liquid and solid waste while generating useful end products.
Linden's team is one of the 16 teams around the world funded by the Gates 'Reinvent the Toilet Challenge' since 2011.
All have shipped their inventions to Delhi where they will be on display March 20-22 for scientists, engineers and dignitaries.
"The invention consists of eight parabolic mirrors that focus concentrated sunlight to a spot no larger than a postage stamp on a quartz-glass rod connected to eight bundles of fibre-optic cables, each consisting of thousands of intertwined, fused fibres,†Linden explained.
The energy generated by the sun and transferred to the fibre-optic cable system can heat up the reaction chamber to over 600 degrees Fahrenheit to treat the waste material, disinfect pathogens in both feces and urine and produce char.
Biochar is a valuable material. It has good water holding capacity and it can be used in agricultural areas to hold in nutrients and bring more stability to the soils.
A soil mixture containing 10 percent biochar can hold up to 50 percent more water and increase the availability of plant nutrients.
"Additionally, the biochar can be burned as charcoal and provides energy comparable to that of commercial charcoal,†Linden added.
Tests have shown that each of the eight fibre-optic cables can produce between 80 and 90 watts of energy, meaning the whole system can deliver up to 700 watts of energy into the reaction chamber, said Linden.
While the current toilet has been created to serve four to six people a day, a larger facility that could serve several households simultaneously is under design.
Unsafe methods to capture and treat human waste result in serious health problems and death – food and water tainted with pathogens from fecal matter results in the deaths of roughly 700,000 children each year.


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I am going to try to keep this easy, all right?
There's no need for you to close this site, pack your things and flee to a secluded island.
Don't let the aperture scare you!
Actually, the aperture is a good friend, it can serve your needs quite magically.
If you are using a point-and-shoot camera, you don't even have to worry about anything – the camera does it all for you. But if you're a 'big' DSLR camera user, then you might want to have a look into the magical world of the aperture.
So, what is that aperture?
Basically, it is the hole in you lens, or the eye of your camera – opening and closing as you wish.
See? I told you it's not difficult.
And what does that hole/aperture do?
Well, primarily, there are two types of situations when the aperture can serve you well.
First, when the light conditions in the place where you're taking photographs are not so good (low-light situations) you can open the aperture wide thus letting more light into your camera allowing it to work more effectively.
And the other kind of situation, the one that I am actually demonstrating here with the pictures, is using the aperture opening to influence the depth of your photographs.
Come, have a look at what I mean, there are plenty of examples here…
This is where I demonstrate the depth of the photograph (people usually call that the 'depth-of-field').
The picture on the left-hand side has the front subject in sharp focus while the subjects in the background are out of focus. This is called the 'shallow depth-of-field'. It is so aptly named – you see shallow, you don't see deep.
On the other hand, the picture on the right-hand side can be described as one with the 'great depth-of-field'. See? It really is deep – the subject in the foreground is almost of the same sharpness as the ones in the background.
And you know what?
It's under your control to decide what kind of picture you want to take – whether it's the shallow one or the deep one.
Isn't that awesome?
And yes, it has something to do with the numbers I've pasted into the pictures.
The 'f/number' that I've pasted into the pictures for you is meant to describe the aperture setting I had used while taking the particular picture. In photography, the 'f', or 'f-stop' or 'f-number' is used when the aperture is being discussed.
To practice the control over your camera's aperture, all you need to do is to search you camera manual and find the little article on the aperture.
Once you find it and learn where that little button is, just do this: go for the lowest numbers (like 2 in my picture) if you want the shallow depth-of-field and go for the highest numbers (like 22 in my picture) if you want the 'deep', all-focused pics.
Your lowest and highest numbers might be different than mine since lenses differ in this aspect.
So what's this again?
Deep or shallow?
Yes, it's deep, because I had my camera set at a high number – 22 in this case – making everything from the foreground to the background being in focus.
This is another example.
Three happy apples posing just for you.
The front apple is enjoying the focal attention while his friends are standing in the background being out of focus.
Here, all three apples enjoy being in focus.
I'd call this picture 'One for all, all for one'.
Here, some peas also want you to see what the aperture is all about.
That's so kind of them.
Low number – shallow depth-of-field.
There are times when you want to isolate your subject…when you want it to be in sharp focus while having the background out of focus. Portraits or food photos are good examples of these situations.
High number – great depth-of-field.
There are different situations when you'll definitely want to have as many details in focus as possible. Just imagine taking a picture of a landscape, for instance, with all its trees, animals, hills, river, clouds…everything crisp and clear.
Note: I really need to let you know of this fact – the smaller the f-number the wider is the aperture opening. A little technical detail that you can remember or forget right now. I give you the permission.
I hope this all made at least a little sense and was of some help.
I wish you a lot of fun while playing with your aperture.
Go and have fun!
See you soon.
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Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld got busy with his pastels this afternoon to sketch Her Majesty's flotilla outfit - with a few 'modifications'.
BY Belinda White | 03 June 2012
That Karl Lagerfeld, he's a busy man and no mistake. Between preparations for his upcoming haute couture show Chanel's creative director found time in his diary to resume commentary duties for French TV channel France 2 's coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - a role that he first undertook for last year's royal wedding with characteristically cutting results.
But why have two jobs when you can have four? Voraciously tweeting his thoughts about the royal fashion to his social media fans all the while (sample: "For her role, for who she is, it is hard to imagine a different outfit that the Queen could have sported better"), his third hand - the one that wasn't holding the microphone or his mobile - got busy sketching Her Majesty in said outfit.
Lagerfeld, a confirmed royalist who admitted asking his parents to buy him his first television to watch Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, then proudly posted the result, complete with Union Flag background on Twitter.
In pictures: 60 years of the Queen's fashion hits
It's a lovely pastel sketch in Lagerfeld's distinctive style, but we can't help but think he's played a little fast and loose with the Queen's senior designer Angela Kelly's designs adding a few fashionable 'flourishes' of his own.
For starters, Kelly's dress coat is a decidedly straight-up-and-down affair, not a flowing cape as Lagerfeld (who earlier confessed on Twitter "I would have dressed the Queen in a cape, it would have been prettier than her shawl") has indicated.
Read: Her Majesty's outfit outshines them all
Nor is it trimmed with all manner of gothic rufflery and frilly underskirts. And where are Her Majesty's trusty black handbag and crisp white gloves? Off with his head!
To be fair, if the Queen were the statuesque glamazon granny portrayed by Lagerfeld, this outfit would have totally rocked (the boat). But Kelly need not take offence; her impeccable creation has drawn nothing but plaudits from the fashion press. Lagerfeld will just have to make do with dressing the world's most beautiful women - the position of royal designer has already been filled.


text:
Can I view photo files in 4K resolution in a slideshow?
Viewing photo files in 4K resolution in a slideshow.
You can view photo files in 4K resolution in a slideshow by following these steps:
- Access the folder containing the 4K images from the menu of the TV.
- Using the supplied remote, press the HOME button.
- Select Connected Devices.
- Select USB.
- Select Photo.
- Select the desired image folder to display the image thumbnail screen.
- From the thumbnail screen of the 4K resolution photos, press the Options button.
- Select Slideshow.


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For once, it could actually pay to read this blog.
Starting today, the singularly named Performance Bike is holding what they describe as the biggest sale in their 29-year history. And to celebrate — and yes, get a little publicity — they've offered me a $25 gift card to give away to one of my readers.
According to their press release, everything in their stores will be on sale, as well as everything on their website, with doorbuster specials offering up to 70% off. The sale runs through Sunday, June 26th; and takes place in all of their local L.A.-area stores, including, presumably, the new Long Beach store.
And while you're at it, you might want to like them on Facebook, for those of you who, unlike me, actually like Facebook.
Now, about that contest to win a free gift card.
Here are the rules:
I'm planning to go out for a bike ride on Wednesday. All you have to do is guess how far I'm going to ride; closest guess to my actual final mileage wins the $25 gift card from Performance Bike.
Simple, right?
Of course, the catch is, even I don't know how far I'm going to ride.
To give you a clue, I'll be riding from my home in Westwood to the coast, then along the beach and back. I live almost exactly 7.5 miles from PCH, so that's a minimum of 15 miles right there. And exactly where and how far I go after that will depend entirely on my mood, the weather and how far my legs will carry me.
Just leave your best guess in the comments here; I'll contact the winner by email, so be sure to use a valid email address. And to give everyone a fair chance, wherever you are and whenever you read this, we'll make the deadline to enter a full 24 hours from the time I post this.
Which means the cut-off is Wednesday night at 11:58 pm PDT.
The gift card will be mailed to the winner directly from their agency, and should be valid on the Performance website, so you don't need to live in Southern California to enter.
May the best guess win.
Note to other bike shops: I'm a firm believer in supporting local bike shops; the reason I'm promoting the Performance sale is because they asked. Just a hint.
And for the sake of full disclosure, they're sending me a gift card for the same amount as well. And no, you can't have it.
The new, long-awaited movie about the L.A. fixie scene has just been released on DVD and iTunes. To Live & Ride in L.A. explores one of the world's most vibrant cycling scenes taking place right now on the streets, alleys and velodromes of our fair city.
You can celebrate both the film and biking at the official release party this Saturday, June 26th, at Royal/T, 8910 Washington Blvd in L.A. The party runs from 6:30 pm to midnight, and is open to the public.
Michael Byerts forwards an email from a member of the LA Tri Club warning about a dangerous driver on Angeles Crest Highway — which has already seen three traffic fatalities since the highway was reopened less than three weeks ago.
On Angeles Crest today, a silver Nissan XTERRA (ED: plate number deleted) slowed down to yell angrily at three pairs of cyclists and swerved into the shoulder cutting off two pairs (I was in one of the pairs). All three pairs were riding separately, didn't know each other, and were at different sections of the highway between Foothill and Newcombs. Long story short, the car was reported, and the driver was stopped and arrested.
However, given that the driver seemed to show very little remorse when talking with the other pair of cyclists up at Newcombs Ranch and didn't seem all that well balanced, we are a little worried that he will continue his dangerous driving into cyclists. All three pairs of cyclists were riding up, so going slowly. If he does the same thing to cyclists riding down, it could be much worse.
So, please be careful if you see a silver Nissan XTERRA while riding on ACH, particularly if the driver slows down or yells at you. The car had a bike rack on it today, too. If you experience anything similar (or have already since crest has opened), please notify the California Highway Patrol to build a case on this guy.
Please forward to friends/groups that ride on Angeles Crest.
I'm withholding the author's name to protect his/her privacy.
Finally, you may recall that L.A. cyclist Patrick Pascal offered his observations on the multitude of problems facing cyclists in Griffith Park in a guest post last December.
Now he offers an update indicating that at least one of the problems has been resolved.
I am happy to report that, a mere six months after the above left picture appeared on your blog (in my review of Griffith Park's bike amenities), this stretch of pavement (pictured on the right has been restored. I have no illusions that my post was anything but a coincidence as we all know how fastidious the city is about maintaining infrastructure. Bravo to the Park Department for not letting the entire roadway wash away before making repairs.
BTW, this is one of LA's best sunset rides with panoramas from the San Gabriel mountains to the islands and into the valley from the top.


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Here's a little step-by-step guide to help you get acquainted with the idea of Spooning with Zoya. It may seem a little strange at first, but you'll end up hooked on Spooning in no time!
First, you visit zoya.com and pick out spoons of colors you're interested in- I am using Tosca as an example because it's the first search result, but Zoya Spoons are available in every color.
http://zoya.com/content/38/item/Zoya/TOSCA-SPOON.html <-- First step: get spoons! Then, in a couple of days, they'll arrive in a pretty little Zoya envelope!
Oooh, aaah! Neat! So... step 2: open the envelope! (With these particular spoons, Zoya demonstrates how to pick your perfect red).
You don't need to take the spoons out if you don't want to, but when you do they look like this:
Note the item number and shade name clearly printed on the handle. No hand-scribbled sharpie smudges here, these are neat and professionally labelled, bar code included!
Step three: Try on the color!
Here's the beauty of spoons: they fit over your nail to give you a clear idea of how the color will look on your actual nails! They're on the large side so I am using my thumb as an example. Hmm... not sure I like the oval nail shape on me! Haha!
With the spoons you get a true-to-life representation of color. Here's a closeup:
The color you see in the spoons is what you get on your nails. No more confusing or misleading stock photos that make you buy the wrong color!
Spoon color is even more accurate than bottle color because sometimes a color can look different when it dries. Here's how they compare to bottle color:
When you purchase Zoya Spoons (50 cents each), Zoya will email you a code for the value of the spoons. It will also be available in the "My Account" section on Zoya.com so you don't lose it. So say you order $3 worth of spoons like there are pictured here... You'll have a $3 credit toward your next purchase via a one-time-use code. That leads me to step four: Order your polishes with the spoon credit!
You don't have to buy the same polishes that you picked spoons for. You can pick any polish. Maybe some of the colors didn't work for you, or maybe you want some Armor topcoat instead of another polish color. The Spoon credit code will go toward any color or treatment. The spoons end up basically becoming free previews. Pretty sweet, eh?
I think this is an awesome idea for online polish shoppers and I wouldn't be surprised to see other companies 'borrowing' this idea in the future. It's way more useful than that completely inaccurate color picker with the photoshopped hand that you see on some other salon brand polish websites. You get to see the actual color, in person, against your very own skin.
Here's Zoya's spoon explanation (taken from Zoya.com):
"What's a Zoya Color Spoon?
Zoya Color Spoons are clear plastic, spoon shaped devices with actual nail polish poured in the nail shaped tip. Before you order a bottle of a color you are not sure of, order a color spoon of that color instead. You can order as many (or as few) colors as you would like. When you receive the Zoya Color Spoons, simply hold them up to your nails and see what the actual color will look like on your nails as though you applied 2 coats and a clear top coat. You never have to worry about ordering the wrong color again.
Ok here is the best part: Zoya Color Spoons SHIP FREE (Economy Ground). That's Right, weather you buy 1 or 200 spoons you do not have to pay for shipping unless you want to upgrade to faster shipping.
So how much are the Zoya Color Spoons? Well they are basically FREE. When you place an order for Zoya Color Spoons you are charged $0.50 per spoon, but as soon as your order is invoiced and ships you will receive an email with a personalized promo code for a discount in the amount equal to the amount you spent on spoons to be taken against you next order.You can use your coupon code towards the purchase of the real color you want to buy or any merchandise on our websites. You can even use it to buy additional color spoons."
Though, I am slightly confused about that last line because in the fine print on the press release it says you can't use the code to buy more spoons... Here it says you can use the code to buy more spoons. I'm not sure which is correct!
Color spoons are available now on Zoya's website!
(These were sent to me for review.)


text: Led by the brilliant scientist Dr. Nicholas Rush, a band of civilians and soldiers faces a whole new world -- and fights for survival -- after their secret military base is attacked. The survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship, unable to return to Earth and now on a course to parts unknown. Amid the darkness the group must meet its most basic needs of food, water and air while discovering the secrets of the ship's Stargate to ultimately survive.


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In an effort to do our best to accommodate the needs of each Dial-A-Ride customer, we have some procedures that we ask you to follow:
- Reservations can be made Monday through Sunday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
- After hours, customers should leave a detailed message. Call (805) 688-5452 and leave a detailed message if no customer service representative is available. If the requested time is available, the trip will be scheduled the following service day. If the desired time is unavailable, the customer will receive a return phone call to the number provided on the message and the dispatcher will suggest alternative times.
- To help accommodate rider travel needs, trip reservations must be made no later than the day prior than the desired trip time.
- Same-day trip requests will be honored on an as received basis, space permitting, and must be requested a minimum of two hours in advance.
- Dial-A-Ride is a shared-ride service. Patrons are asked to allow at least a 30-minute travel time to their destinations given the vehicle may make additional pick-ups and drop-offs en route.
- Reserve a pick-up time at least the day before, but not more than seven days before, when you want to travel. Same-day trip requests are accepted on an as-received basis, space permitting, and must be requested a minimum of two hours in advance.
- You'll be provided a 20-minute pick-up window within which the DAR vehicle will arrive. Our driver will wait three minutes before departing. If early, the driver will wait for the allotted pick-up window time before beginning the three- minute wait period.
- Click here for the complete ADA Paratransit Plan.
Please be sure to provide your most up-to date contact information when scheduling your trip.
Our customer service representative may need to notify you by phone if an unforeseeable delay impacts your travel reservation.
- Rider's first and last name.
- If an attendant, child, companion, or service animal will also be riding.
- Rider's exact address, including an apartment number, building, or business name if appropriate.
- Exact pick-up address (if location differs from rider's address).
- The exact address of rider's destination, including suite number, building, or business name.
- Rider's requested pick-up time and appointment time (if applicable).
- If the rider is traveling with a wheelchair or other mobility device (scooter, crutches, etc.).
Drivers may assist customers to/from their door to the vehicle but drivers are not allowed to lift or carry a customer's property.
Please call (805) 688-5452 to cancel your pick-uprequest. Trip cancellations should be made no lessthan two hours prior to the scheduled pick-up time.Consistently failing to appear for a scheduled trip, not being ready at the agreed upon pick-up time, or canceling a trip without proper 2-hour advanced notice may result in a fine or suspension of Dial-A-Ride service privileges.
Changes to Existing Reservations
If a reserved trip will not be made as originally scheduled, it must be canceled and rescheduled as anew trip with the SYVT Customer Service Representative (not the driver) with the new origin and/or destination at least two hours in advance of the scheduled trip. Per the No-Show Policy, if the trip is not canceled two hours in advance, the customer will reconsidered a no-show if they choose not to take the scheduled trip. Depending upon the origin and destination of the new trip as well as other rider reservations, the customer may lose the originally scheduled pick-up time.
No changes to trip reservations will be allowed on board the vehicle. The customer may take the trip as scheduled (and therefore incur no penalty) or may refuse to take the trip at the pick-up location (which will be considered a no-show). If the customer boards the vehicle, the driver will transport the customer to the scheduled location at the scheduled time. Boarding the vehicle will be viewed by the driver as confirmation by the customer that they want to take the reserved trip as originally scheduled. If the customer decides after boarding the bus or en route that he/she does not wish to travel to the scheduled location, the driver will return the customer to his/her home as the schedule allows.The trip will be recorded as a no-show and any scheduled return trip will be canceled.
It is not the intent of SYVT to leave customers stranded away from home. However, last-minute schedule changes cannot be accommodated and will not be accepted onboard the vehicle due to their impact on the scheduled trips of other customers.
No-Show Policy
Santa Ynez Valley Transit depends on efficient scheduling to accommodate as many customers as possible. Therefore, it is important once a customer schedules a trip, the trip either be taken or cancelled within a reasonable amount of time. To ensure service efficiency and effectiveness, Santa Ynez Valley Transit has established a no-show and late cancellation policy.This policy allows SYVT to provide the most efficient service as possible to each of its customers.Failing to appear for a scheduled trip, or canceling a trip without proper notice, is considered a no-show.
A no-show is defined as:
- A passenger who fails to cancel an unneeded or unwanted scheduled trip.
- A passenger who is not at the designated pick-up location within two (2) minutes of the scheduled time or service window.
- A passenger who cancels a scheduled ride less than two (2) hours in advance of the scheduled
- pick-up time.
Drivers will wait up to two minutes at the scheduled pick-up location upon arrival or after the beginning of the scheduled service window.
To encourage policy compliance, the following consequences for repeated no-shows may be implemented:
- Two (2) no-shows within a four-month period will result in a verbal warning.
- Three (3) no-shows within a four-month period will result in a written warning.
- Four (4) no-shows within a four-month period will result in a written notice of a monetary fine or a seven (7)-day restriction on using the service (service suspension). A monetary fine, equal to the cost of the four (4) missed one-way trips (currently $7.00 for senior and ADA-certified patrons), may be imposed. A customer may not schedule another trip until the fine is paid in full.
- Five (5) no-shows within a four-month period will result in a written notice of a 30-day service restriction (service suspension).
Santa Ynez Valley Transit will notify all customers subject to service restrictions in writing. Upon request, such notification will be made available in alternate format. Santa Ynez Valley Transit has an appeals process that allows customers to appeal any monetary fine or restriction in service due to repeated no-shows. A customer may submit a written appeal within seven (7)calendar days of receiving notification and should submit a letter to Santa Ynez Valley Transit specifically outlining why the monetary fine or service restriction(suspension) should not be implemented.
Rider Behavior
Prohibited Behaviors
To ensure safety for both SYVT customers and staff, SYVT prohibits seriously disruptive behavior, public health threats, and refusal to comply with rules. ADA regulations expressly authorize a public transit agency to suspend a Dial-A-Ride customer's service because of no-shows. ADA regulations also expressly authorize a public transit provider to refuse or suspend service to a Dial-A-Ride customer if the customer engages in conduct that is violent, seriously disruptive, or illegal. The following list provides examples of behavior and conduct that, generally speaking, would meet the ADA's "violent, seriously disruptive or illegal conduct" standard. These examples serve as a starting point for the case-by-case determination required by the Service Refusal and Service Suspension policies and should not be viewed as a basis for automatic service suspension or refusal. In addition, this is not an exhaustive list of conduct and behaviors that might be encountered within the SYVT Dial-A-Ride program. These examples serve as representative illustrations of conduct and behavior that is potentially within the scope of the Service Suspension Policy and should be evaluated according to that policy's requirements.
Violent, Seriously Disruptive, or Illegal Behavior
Service may be refused to riders who engage in violent, seriously disruptive, or illegal behavior. Examples of such behaviors include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Physical actions toward operators or other passengers, such as striking, biting, kicking, spitting, and/or throwing items.
- Threatening operators or other passengers.
- Isolated instances or a demonstrated pattern of causing damage to vehicles, such tearing seats, breaking windows, breaking seatbelts, removing or disabling equipment, and similar conduct.
- A demonstrated pattern of no-shows.
- Isolated instances or demonstrated pattern behaviors causing service disruption, i.e., that result in the bus operator having to interrupt service for a significant time period or having to put the vehicle out of service, preventing pick-up or drop-off of other customers, or results that have a similarly disruptive effect on service. Such behaviors include but are not limited to continuous shouting, screaming, banging the windows, upsetting other passengers, causing other passengers to engage in seriously disruptive conduct, and opening emergency windows.
- Isolated instances or a demonstrated pattern of unlawful behavior, such as possession of drugs or an open container of alcohol, smoking, exposing oneself, urination onboard SYVT vehicles, sexual harassment of SYVT customers or employees, and any other illegal behavior.
Public Health Threats
Service may be refused to any rider who poses a potential public health threat. Examples of public health threats include, but are not limited to, the following:
- A demonstrated pattern of uncontained incontinence;
- The existence of excrement on clothes or on hands; and
- The existence of other body fluids, such as blood or vomit, on face, hands, or clothing.
Refusal to Comply with Safety Rules
A rider that refuses to comply with posted safety rules or driver instructions may be refused service. An example of such a refusal includes, but is not limited to:
- A demonstrated pattern of refusal to travel safely, such as refusal to remain seated (when seats are available and standing would pose a risk to safety), refusal to remain in an upright position, refusal to have mobility device secured, or boarding or attempting to board with an unsafe mobility device.
If the prohibited behavior results from a disability, SY VT may require that a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) ride with the rider to control the prohibited behavior. Such a modification may also be required of senior customers who are unable to control their behavior due to dementia or other cognitive or memory issues.
Not Sufficient to Support Service Suspension or Refusal
While the following behaviors may be undesirable and/or unwanted, they alone are not sufficient to support service suspension or refusal:
- Abusive or profane outbursts that do not fall under the criteria for "seriously disruptive behavior"; and
- Language or comments that are offensive, annoying, or embarrassing to SYVT operators or staff.
Service Refusal Policy
Service refusal is intended to address conduct or behavior occurring at the time of service delivery but for which a suspension would not be appropriate. For example, an SYVT customer who on a particular occasion insists on boarding with an unsafe device or object, or who is engaging in violent conduct, may be refused service on that occasion. The operator must immediately notify dispatch of the service refusal and the reason(s) for the service refusal. This should include a detailed factual description of the conduct or behavior upon which the operator based the decision to refuse service. The driver and dispatcher shall both document the incident via an incident report.
Where appropriate, alternative transportation arrangements should be made for an SYVT Dial-A-Ride customer to ensure the customer's safety. For example, service refusal at a customer's place of residence would not require alternative transportation. However, a service refusal at a non-home location could require that such arrangements be made. This could be in the form of a taxi ride home or being picked up by an SYVT field supervisor. In any case, the action should be documented and the trip must be recorded as a no-show. It is important that the trip be recorded as a no-show so that it will serve as a deterrent to the undesired behavior.
If service is refused for a prohibited behavior that is later determined to be the result of a disability, SYVT will work with the customer and/or the customer's representative to identify an accommodation or modification that will help prevent future service refusals due to the prohibited conduct or behavior.
Service refusals may not be used as a substitute for a service suspension. Behavior occurring repeatedly should be reviewed and addressed in accordance with the guidelines for service suspensions.
Service Suspension Policy
Reports of inappropriate conduct (including no-shows) must be investigated to the extent practicable to determine the facts of the events giving rise to the report. If the investigation confirms that the conduct did occur, the investigator must then determine whether the conduct rises to the level of violent, seriously disruptive, or illegal.
In making this determination, the cause of the conduct should be considered; for example, if information is brought forward indicating the customer's conduct is asserted to be involuntary due to their disability. In such circumstances, the relationship of the disability condition to the conduct at issue must be considered. If the available information shows the conduct is involuntary and caused by the customer's disability, SYVT must consider whether the conduct is such that some reasonable modification would enable the individual to use the service. If reasonable modification is not possible, or if the conduct is not involuntary or caused by the customer's disability, reasonable modification would not be required. If appropriate, continued use of paratransit service may be conditioned upon the customer's compliance with measures reasonably calculated to ensure the safety of the customer, other passengers, or employees.
Generally, a service suspension should be implemented only after the customer has been given at least one (1) verbal warning and one (1) written warning (a total of two warnings) regarding the conduct or behavior for which a service suspension is contemplated.
A verbal warning must be documented by the driver or dispatcher via an incident report. This report should include the specifics of the behavior or conduct involved; the time, date and location of the conduct; the date and time the verbal warning was given, the name and title of the SY VT employee who gave the verbal warning, and any other relevant facts. The incident report should note that the SYVT employee informed the customer as to the specific behavior that should cease or be corrected as well as the potential consequences of failing to change the behavior. A verbal warning should be given when a DAR customer has accrued two (2) no-shows within a four month period.
Behavior that triggers a written warning (including a no-show) must be documented by the driver or dispatcher via an incident report. A written warning should describe the behavior or conduct for which the warnings is given. This description should include the specifics of the behavior or conduct involved; the time, date and location of the conduct; details regarding the prior verbal warning; and any other relevant facts. The written warning should advise the customer that the behavior or conduct must cease or be corrected, and of the consequences of failure to cease or correct the behavior or conduct. If appropriate, the warning should include a description of the conduct expected of the customer in the future or of the modification offered or required as a condition of continuing to provide SYVT Dial-A-Ride service. SYVT staff shall consider whether the written warning itself or the corrective action suggested or the modification offered should be further discussed with the customer and/or his or her representative.
A written warning should be given when a DAR customer has accrued three (3) no-shows within a four-month period.
Notice of Service Suspension
If the proposed service suspension is the result of four (4) no-shows within a four-month period, the customer
will be issued a Notice of Service Suspension effective for seven (7) days, as detailed in the No-Show Policy. The customer will be given the opportunity to pay a monetary fine equal to the four (4) missed one-way trips in lieu of a potential service suspension. If the customer elects to pay the fine in lieu of a service suspension, no trips will be scheduled until the fine is paid, and service will resume immediately upon full payment of the monetary fine.
If the proposed service suspension is the result of five (5) no-shows within a four-month period, the customer will be issued a Notice of Service Suspension effective for thirty (30) days, as detailed in the No-Show Policy. No payment of a monetary fine will be accepted in lieu of suspension.
Notice of any proposed service suspension must be in writing. The notice must include identification of the prior warnings given regarding the conduct at issue. For each warning listed in the notice, the date of the warning, the behavior or conduct for which the warning was issued, and the customer's attempts to cease or correct the behavior or conduct shall be summarized. If the service suspension is due to no-shows, the date, time, and pick-up location of each no-show should be included in the written notice.
For behavior-related issues, service suspension should be implemented only after customer has been given the opportunity to be heard on the issue for which SY VT is contemplating a service suspension (a "presuspension meeting").
The notice must include a description of the immediate behavior or conduct which prompted the Notice of Service Suspension. This description should include the specifics of the behavior or conduct involved; the time, date and location of the conduct; and any other relevant facts.
The notice must advise the customer of his or her opportunity to be heard in-person or to submit written or alternative format information for SYVT's consideration regarding the proposed behavior-related suspension.
The notice shall advise the customer that the customer or the customer's representative must contact SYVT's designated representative within one week (stipulate date) to request an in-person meeting. The name of and phone number for the designated representative shall be stated in the notice. If the customer prefers instead of an in-person meeting to submit a written response to the proposed suspension, the notice shall advise the customer of the date by which the written response must be received by SY VT. Extensions of this date may be allowed for good cause.
Dial-A-Ride service will continue to be provided during the notification and pre-suspension meeting process unless the behavior in question creates an immediate risk to safety.
Pre-Suspension Meeting
If the customer or his/her representative has timely requested an in-person meeting regarding the proposed suspension for a behavior-related issue, the City-designated representative shall notify the customer of the date and time for the meeting. The meeting shall occur at City of Solvang offices unless a different location is agreed upon by the City-designated representative and the customer. If necessary, paratransit service shall be provided to the customer to and from the place of the pre-suspension meeting.
The pre-suspension meeting shall be informal. The customer shall be given the opportunity to provide the City-designated representative with the customer's account, orally and by documents and other information, of the incident(s) upon which the proposed suspension is based. The customer may also present any other information relevant to the incident(s) upon which the proposed suspension is based. The customer may present his or her account and related information through a representative.
Once the pre-suspension meeting is complete or the customer's written submission has been received and reviewed, or alternatively, the customer has neither requested a pre-suspension meeting nor provided a written submission by the specified date, the Citydesignated representative shall review the available information and decide whether or not to suspend service and, if service is to be suspended, determine the length of the behavior-related suspension. The customer shall be notified in writing of the decision, and the basis for the decision shall be explained. If the decision is to suspend the customer's SYVT Dial-A-Ride service, the customer shall also be advised of his or her right to appeal the service suspension. A description of the procedure for requesting an appeal of a service suspension shall also be included.
Duration of Service Suspension
A service suspension for a behavior-related issue should be "for a reasonable period of time." "Reasonable period of time" depends on the facts of the specific incident. In determining the length of the service suspension, the following factors should be considered:
- The need to protect other customers, employees, or system safety;
- The seriousness of the risk created or harm caused by the customer's behavior or conduct;
- The number of prior warnings given and the period of time over which those warnings were given; and
- The likely corrective effect of the suspension on the customer's future behavior or conduct, in light of the customer's particular condition.
Generally, similar situations should be addressed by similar suspensions. Suspensions due to seriously disruptive behavior may be different than those imposed per the No-Show Policy depending upon the situation.
Exceptional conduct
Conduct that inflicts serious harm on another customer or a SYVT operator or employee, results in serious damage to SY VT property, or creates an immediate actual risk to safety, may warrant immediate suspension of service without prior warning or a pre-suspension hearing. As soon as practicable following imposition of a suspension for exceptional conduct, the customer should be advised in writing of the basis for the suspension, including a description of the behavior or conduct involved; the time, date and location of the conduct; and any other relevant facts. The customer should also be advised of the opportunity for a pre-suspension meeting, as described above for Notice of Service Suspension. The procedures for convening a pre-suspension meeting outlined above should then be followed.
A suspension for exceptional conduct should be based on behavior or conduct that is extreme or egregious. A suspension under this provision should be the exception, not the rule, and should be used sparingly to address only the most severe and immediately dangerous or threatening actions. If such a suspension is necessary, it should be for no less than thirty (30) days.
Service Suspension Appeals Process
Customers who receive a service suspension based on behavior or conduct have the right to an appeal. The customer must request an appeal in writing within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the decision regarding service suspension. The suspension will be put on hold during the appeals process unless the behavior in question creates an immediate risk to safety.
An Appeals Panel will review the case and make a final decision. The Appeals Panel will include persons not involved in the investigation and review of the initial determination or the pre-suspension meeting. Once the appeals process is completed, the applicant will be notified within ten (10) calendar days. The final decision will be made available in writing or an alternate accessible format if so requested. If the appeal is denied, the reason(s) for denial will be included, and the suspension will be reinstated.
Lead Service Line Inventory
City of Solvang Water Division - Important Announcement Read on... -
The City of Solvang is now accepting applications for Grant Funding for fiscal year 2024/2025.
JOIN US: Day Trip to The Getty Center
Visit The Getty Center on Thursday, March 7th! Let us do the driving, you just sit back, relax and enjoy the day. Read on...


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This article is more than 1 year old
Oracle rejects Google's man for mediation
Come on judge, we want the Two Larrys!
We didn't really expect Larry Page to take two full days out of the Googleplex to sit down and talk about patent infringements with the software company Oracle – he's got maths to do, nerds to manage and Google+ updates to write. But Google could have come up with someone a bit senior to meet the mediation team from the enraged software company.
Google has offered to send Andy Rubin – senior vice president of mobile and the man responsible for the development of Android – to meet Oracle President Safra Catz in the mediation meeting ordered by the judge to resolve Oracle's patent lawsuit.
But Oracle has put in a complaint to the court about the man Google has chosen to represent it. They say that 1) Rubin is not senior enough to make the decisions needed for a successful mediation meeting and 2) that Rubin and his patent-infringing ways are the cause of the problem in the first place.
The corporation has appealed Google's choices in a letter to the judge:
"The Court's September 2, 2011 Order appropriately directs the parties to identify 'top corporate executives' to participate in the mediation. Oracle believes the prospects for a successful mediation will be far greater if Google's executive-level representative is a superior to Mr Rubin, who is the architect of Google's Android strategy – the strategy that gives rise to this case."
Catz is a big gun at Oracle, regularly making billion-pound deals for the company, and arguably Rubin just wouldn't be able to do the same. And billions of dollars are at stake.
It's up to the judge to decide whether Google should cough someone someone a bit higher up the corporate food chain.
If both companies are forced to push out their CEOs, maybe we will see that Larry (Ellison) v Larry (Page) shoot-out that The Reg was looking forward to... ®